Friday, 24 July 2015

It is such a pleasure to post something positive regarding politicians (something that is not that common a thing for me to do).

Considering the award's namesake - Nelson Mandela (♥ the great Madiba), all the more pleasure in doing so.

As is known the award is destined to be attributed once in every 5 years, each time to be bestowed upon one man and one woman, beginning this summer (of 2015) - for the first time, in honour of Mandela's day of birth.

(other articles regarding the award's first presentation - below)LINK- article: June 22nd, 2015 announcing the prize | LINK- article regarding the ceremony to be held today

Helena Ndume's work not only commands respect it is absolutely beautiful - LINK
I admit to, only to have become aware of her actions due to the prize and am truly moved upon hearing of it. The more I read, the more I am in awe.

What can I possibly say about Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio?
I admired him even before he became Mayor of the country's capital city of Lisbon (and later on President of the Republic of Portugal). In an age where politicians in the nation (left to right - literally) either embarrass or irritate me he is and has always been the opposite. I will not say his work surprises me, I can't, but to see him win the award does not only remind me (thankfully) that one can be thankful for the gems amidst the mud, but recall how the air seemed all of a sudden fresher and purer each time, and the moment, he was elected (not an easy thing to feel after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the onset of our Neo-Whatever-It-Is world).
I'm so happy he is is being thus recognized. To me he belongs to the league of the likes of Lester B. Pearson (from my other land), even though one comes from one political background and the other came from another.

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I truly had no idea when I hadposted a picture of flowers (magnolias from a magnolia tree just at the entrance of the historic heart of the village of Sintra, at the end of the "Volta do Duche", in the proximity of it's hospital and adjacent royal residence (Palacio da Vila & Hospital da Vila), a place I love dearly as it was the birthplace of my father (Freguesia de São Martinho - Sintra) and also so very dear to President Sampaio)
- on that sad day when the world bade adieu to the great Madiba, that one of the two to receive the prize would be so connected to that tree's location.